From Culture of Power to Empowerment: An Intervention Program for Leadership Development and Cultural Change​

How do organizations increase innovation and agility in today’s VUCA environment? Majority countries of the world experience “power hierarchies” in their cultural context (see, https://geerthofstede.com/culture-geert-hofstede-gert-jan-hofstede/6d-model-of-national-culture/), which implies centralized decision making, paternalistic leadership, conformity and loyalty to authority. Innovation and agility do not flourish in the culture of power. Prof. Zeynep Aycan developed a training and consulting program for the new generation leaders who can transform the culture of power to that of empowerment in their organizational context. The program is comprised of 5 modules. They are the paths through which culture is transformed (Figure 1 below). The program is comprised of 4 components: need assessment with a standardized measurement tool, lectures, experiential learning activities, and one-on-one coaching. It has been delivered in profit and non-profit organizations. The effectiveness of this program has been tested by pre- and post-intervention assessments.